"Now, darlin', I can s'plain." Remy backed up from the duo, until he was
flush against a tree. His eyes darted about trying to find a way to exit.
"Do we kill him?"
"No," Rogue said quickly, "that would disrupt the timeline too much. He would know immediately that we are here." Rogue tapped a finger against her lips, and then smiled. "We'll just make sure he doesn't remember us, eh?" Rogue moved to put her hands over his head. She then called up the powers of Xavier and Jean, and broke down his shields. It would hurt him later but he'd never know why. Pushing the telepaths back she called up the powers of Mesmero and Mastermind. Concentrating she wiped out and blocked any memories he had of this place and meeting. In her rush she overlooked the fact that Piotr was in front of the club.
Stepping back she heaved a sigh and then telekinetically put him near the back door of the club. When he woke in an hour he'd just assume he got a little too drunk and passed out. Behind her John snickered. "You're real good at that aren't you?"
"Shut up, John."
"I'm just saying. . ."
Suddenly a mist formed between them, taking form quickly into the shape of a petite woman. Kitty fully materialized hovering over the ground. Her whispery voice, though low, was always heard. She had that effect on people. "Fighting will not help."
"You're right, Katherine. We must be united on this. Kitty, Ah mean, Katherine, you are to find our target. Do it quickly we only have two hours." Rogue stated. Her friends and family had once called Katherine 'Kitty', but after Genosha she had refused to answer to it. Now she went by her full name.
Katherine nodded and once again dissipated. Her target was a mutant with the ability to temporary give a 'jump' to other mutants and gives their abilities more power. Once she found him they could move on and complete their mission.
"Y'okay?" Rogue asked John. Seeing Kitty was particularly painful for John because it reminded him of everything he'd lost.
"Fine, let's get on with it. We only have so much time." Rogue shrugged and they walked deeper into the forest, away from the lights and relative safety of civilization.
***
"Logan? What's wrong?" Ororo asked as she followed the bad-tempered mutant out of the mansion.
"Rogue's missing. Kitty's missing. I'm going to look for them." Logan stepped into the garage and stopped. "Damn it, she took my bike."
"Who?"
"Stripes! Oh, she's in for some Danger Room sessions. I'll be back in a while." Ororo watched as Logan sped off on his secondary bike, which was actually just as good as the other but had less 'character' as he put it. Ororo allowed herself one brief glance at his rear before heading inside to speak to Dr. McCoy.
***
Rogue let her mind wander. She was currently sitting on a cliff's edge, searching for metals. She could only take metal directly from the earth for this task. Anywhere else and it would either be noticed or impure. It was a tenacious process that had to be done a certain way. They couldn't afford any mistakes. This was deathly important. She had to succeed for the sake of her friends, family, and all the other mutants in the world. No pressure, eh?
Almost unwillingly Rogue's mind drifted back (or forward) to the time she spent in Genosha.
***(Flashback)***
Rogue screamed, a bloodcurdling, toe-curling scream. It was a scream of pain, suffering, and terror. "Please, no! I can't take anymore! PLEASE!" Heedless to her screams the officers brought forth yet another mutant. Raising the female mutant's hand they touched it to Rogue's, skin to skin. Instantly Rogue knew who she was and what.
Her name was Betsy; she was a telepath with the ability to create "psychic swords that projected from her hands. She had been having dinner with her boyfriend Warren Worthington when she had been captured. Rogue then felt the absolute despair Betsy felt upon seeing Warren shot down from the sky, and crashing into the ground. Warren had been the mutant Angel, then later Archangel. Betsy had once wanted to be a cabaret singer. . .
The officers pulled an unconscious Betsy away from Rogue, removing her from the room as well. With a single command another mutant was brought into the room, and Rogue, coming out of her stupor began to protest again, but never violently. She could risk damaging what was inside of her. It was all she had left, and it took all her will to protect it when she was imprinting. Once again she steeled herself against the onslaught of memories and pain. This one could turn off all the types of energy in a certain area, wait, she knew this child. . .
***(End Flashback)***
Rogue came out of her daydream when she felt that slight inkling of metal below her. Using Magneto's abilities she pulled it from the ground. Sending up a large plume of dirt as she did. Rogue smiled as she looked at it. It had just enough metal to it to create time synchronizers for all four of them. Wait, where was their fourth member?
"Do we kill him?"
"No," Rogue said quickly, "that would disrupt the timeline too much. He would know immediately that we are here." Rogue tapped a finger against her lips, and then smiled. "We'll just make sure he doesn't remember us, eh?" Rogue moved to put her hands over his head. She then called up the powers of Xavier and Jean, and broke down his shields. It would hurt him later but he'd never know why. Pushing the telepaths back she called up the powers of Mesmero and Mastermind. Concentrating she wiped out and blocked any memories he had of this place and meeting. In her rush she overlooked the fact that Piotr was in front of the club.
Stepping back she heaved a sigh and then telekinetically put him near the back door of the club. When he woke in an hour he'd just assume he got a little too drunk and passed out. Behind her John snickered. "You're real good at that aren't you?"
"Shut up, John."
"I'm just saying. . ."
Suddenly a mist formed between them, taking form quickly into the shape of a petite woman. Kitty fully materialized hovering over the ground. Her whispery voice, though low, was always heard. She had that effect on people. "Fighting will not help."
"You're right, Katherine. We must be united on this. Kitty, Ah mean, Katherine, you are to find our target. Do it quickly we only have two hours." Rogue stated. Her friends and family had once called Katherine 'Kitty', but after Genosha she had refused to answer to it. Now she went by her full name.
Katherine nodded and once again dissipated. Her target was a mutant with the ability to temporary give a 'jump' to other mutants and gives their abilities more power. Once she found him they could move on and complete their mission.
"Y'okay?" Rogue asked John. Seeing Kitty was particularly painful for John because it reminded him of everything he'd lost.
"Fine, let's get on with it. We only have so much time." Rogue shrugged and they walked deeper into the forest, away from the lights and relative safety of civilization.
***
"Logan? What's wrong?" Ororo asked as she followed the bad-tempered mutant out of the mansion.
"Rogue's missing. Kitty's missing. I'm going to look for them." Logan stepped into the garage and stopped. "Damn it, she took my bike."
"Who?"
"Stripes! Oh, she's in for some Danger Room sessions. I'll be back in a while." Ororo watched as Logan sped off on his secondary bike, which was actually just as good as the other but had less 'character' as he put it. Ororo allowed herself one brief glance at his rear before heading inside to speak to Dr. McCoy.
***
Rogue let her mind wander. She was currently sitting on a cliff's edge, searching for metals. She could only take metal directly from the earth for this task. Anywhere else and it would either be noticed or impure. It was a tenacious process that had to be done a certain way. They couldn't afford any mistakes. This was deathly important. She had to succeed for the sake of her friends, family, and all the other mutants in the world. No pressure, eh?
Almost unwillingly Rogue's mind drifted back (or forward) to the time she spent in Genosha.
***(Flashback)***
Rogue screamed, a bloodcurdling, toe-curling scream. It was a scream of pain, suffering, and terror. "Please, no! I can't take anymore! PLEASE!" Heedless to her screams the officers brought forth yet another mutant. Raising the female mutant's hand they touched it to Rogue's, skin to skin. Instantly Rogue knew who she was and what.
Her name was Betsy; she was a telepath with the ability to create "psychic swords that projected from her hands. She had been having dinner with her boyfriend Warren Worthington when she had been captured. Rogue then felt the absolute despair Betsy felt upon seeing Warren shot down from the sky, and crashing into the ground. Warren had been the mutant Angel, then later Archangel. Betsy had once wanted to be a cabaret singer. . .
The officers pulled an unconscious Betsy away from Rogue, removing her from the room as well. With a single command another mutant was brought into the room, and Rogue, coming out of her stupor began to protest again, but never violently. She could risk damaging what was inside of her. It was all she had left, and it took all her will to protect it when she was imprinting. Once again she steeled herself against the onslaught of memories and pain. This one could turn off all the types of energy in a certain area, wait, she knew this child. . .
***(End Flashback)***
Rogue came out of her daydream when she felt that slight inkling of metal below her. Using Magneto's abilities she pulled it from the ground. Sending up a large plume of dirt as she did. Rogue smiled as she looked at it. It had just enough metal to it to create time synchronizers for all four of them. Wait, where was their fourth member?